Amoeba announces new Hollywood location

Amoeba Music is packing up its enormous Sunset Boulevard store and moving its merchandise to the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

The Bay Area-based record store announced today that it would relocate to the recently completed El Centro complex at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Argyle Avenue. The move will take place “sometime after Labor Day,” according to a statement from the company.

The new location is roughly half a mile from Amoeba’s recognizable Sunset Boulevard store, a Hollywood institution since it opened in 2001. The company sold the boxy, neon-emblazoned building to developer GPI Companies in 2015 and has been leasing the space since then.

In 2016, the developer filed plans to demolish the store and replace it with a 26-story tower containing 200 apartments and retail space. It’s not clear when construction will start on the project, but Amoeba’s lease will run out later this year.

According to Amoeba’s statement, the new Hollywood Boulevard location will be somewhat smaller than the cavernous store on Sunset. Variety reported in 2018 that the store’s owners were considering spaces occupying roughly 20,000 square feet. An online listing for El Centro advertises more than 52,000 square feet of available commercial space.

In a video tour released by Amoeba, rapper Tyler the Creator highlights the roomy expanse of the new space.

The Hollywood Boulevard spot will also be a little easier to get to on public transit; the store will be directly across the street from Metro’s Hollywood/Vine subway station.

Amoeba’s announcement says the move will require the store to temporarily close, but it’s unclear how long it will take for the new location to open. The company also has two other branches, in San Francisco and Berkeley.